Fylde Sand Dunes

05/06/2026

🌍 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 🌾🌱🌿

Today, we're celebrating , a global initiative that encourages us all to take action for the planet. This year's theme, "Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.", highlights the vital role that healthy ecosystems play in tackling the climate crisis.

Here on the Fylde coast, nature is already helping us adapt to a changing climate.

Our sand dunes and saltmarshes act as natural defences against flooding and erosion, helping to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure from increasingly frequent storms and rising sea levels. These habitats also provide homes for a huge variety of wildlife, store carbon, improve wellbeing, and create spaces for people to connect with nature.

Protecting and restoring these habitats is one of the most effective ways we can build a more resilient coastline for both people and wildlife.

Whether you're joining a beach clean, reducing waste, choosing sustainable options, supporting local conservation projects, or simply spending time appreciating the natural world around you, every action makes a difference.

This World Environment Day, let's take inspiration from nature and work together for a healthier climate and a brighter future for generations to come.

📸 𝐖𝐞'𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐲𝐥𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰! 💬



Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council Environment Agency

04/06/2026

🐉🪰 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 🐉🪰

If you head to the Local Nature Reserve at the moment you will see a hive of activity around the dune slacks. Not only are the tadpoles quickly developing into toadlets and froglets but the dragonflies and damselflies have arrived!

Such a stunning sight on the dunes, so far we have spotted azure and blue tailed damselflies and red-veined, broad-bodied chaser and emperor dragonflies on the dunes and no doubt others that we haven't spotted yet.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council Environment Agency

03/06/2026

💪𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸! 💪

Thank you to all our amazing volunteers, last year between our conservation, survey, event and guided walk volunteers a huge 1447 hours were contributed towards the work of the project!!

Another big thank you to all our corporate work parties and volunteers who join us for our annual Christmas tree planting.

We are so thankfully for all your hard work, passion and enthusiasm. We couldn't do the work of the project without you. You all make such a difference to local wildlife and community togetherness.



Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council Environment Agency

03/06/2026

🚶‍♀️𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞? 🌿

We've got not one, but 𝗧𝗪𝗢 free guided walks coming up in the Fylde Sand Dunes over the next week.

🌾 𝟭. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘆𝗹𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀
📅 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 7𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦, 10𝘢𝘮-12𝘱𝘮

Our monthly guided walk is the perfect introduction to this fascinating coastal habitat. Join our volunteer guides to discover the wildlife, history and conservation work that makes the Fylde dunes so special. No two walks are ever quite the same, as wildlife and seasonal highlights change throughout the year.🥾

Book your free place here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/guided-walk-discover-the-fylde-sand-dunes-tickets-1977493049945 👈🔗

🌸 𝟮. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘆𝗹𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀
📅 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 12𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦, 10𝘢𝘮-12𝘱𝘮

Whilst our monthly walk covers a bit of everything, this special walk will focus specifically on the incredible wildflowers currently blooming across the dunes. From orchids and bird's-foot trefoil to vetches and other dune specialists, it's one of the best times of year to see the dunes at their colourful best.🌼

Book your free place here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/guided-walk-wildflowers-of-the-fylde-dunes-tickets-1977492169311

June is one of the most beautiful months to explore the dunes, with wildlife everywhere you look and many of our dune flowers now in bloom.

Both walks are free to attend, but booking is essential as places are limited.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Fylde Ranger Service Blackpool Council

Explore the stunning Fylde sand dunes! Join our expert guides to uncover wildlife, history, and the vital conservation work protecting them.

02/06/2026

Today, on Day, we’re proud to announce that we've signed the Movement Power of Youth Charter. 💛📝

Through our Blue Influencers programme, we’ve seen first-hand the incredible ideas, passion and leadership young people bring when they’re genuinely given a voice and the opportunity to lead change.

This year’s theme, 'Common Ground', feels particularly important. Despite all the noise and division in the world, young people often share the same hopes for the future: healthier communities, a better environment and positive change.

By listening to young people, involving them in decision-making and supporting youth-led action, real change can happen.

From reducing single-use plastics and improving biodiversity, to raising awareness around sustainability and environmental issues, the young people involved in Blue Influencers continue to inspire us with their creativity, determination and commitment to making a difference within their schools and local communities.

We’re excited to continue building opportunities for young people to connect with nature, develop confidence and leadership skills, and shape positive environmental change across the Fylde coast.



Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery The Ernest Cook Trust

01/06/2026

🐦 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘆 🐦

21 bird species were spotted on the LNR in May. May is peak breeding season with most birds tending to their young either on their nests or guiding their fledglings through the world of being a young bird.

In terms of abundance, meadow pipits have had an explosion in numbers, all competing for territory and protecting their young. Meadow pipits are easily over looked, highly camouflaged for dune grassland habitat and have a less spectacular song compared to the skylark which we sadly see less of on the dunes nowadays. They also fly straight up in the air when disturbed, but don't go as high up as skylarks. The numbers are a good indication that hopefully we have a bumper year this year for breeding meadow pipit.

𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗯 𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council Environment Agency

28/05/2026

🦎🐝🐦‍⬛⛳ 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 Lytham and St Annes Golf Club 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘇 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 🦎🐝🐦‍⬛⛳

Royal Lytham and St Annes golf club is a links course which means it was developed upon sand dune habitat. The course is actively working to increase biodiversity, habitat quality and creating more space for nature.

It was a really interesting day with lots to see, great to see the efforts the groundskeeping team are going to, to incorporate nature into their work!

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council The R&A

27/05/2026

💪 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀 💪

The target species last week were ivy and white poplar suckers. Both species spread rapidly across the dunes and smoother/out compete native wildflowers and grasses.

We use a tool called a tree popper to remove the white poplar suckers, you clamp the tree popper on to the base of the young tree and pull the leaver back and the tree pops out of the sand, hopefully bringing the roots out too. Sometimes the roots may snap so the volunteers dig out what is left.

Ivy is usually found in woodland but is quite happy on sand dunes, it is much easier to dig out but still hard work, as once again they root system needs digging out completely.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Blackpool Council Environment Agency

23/05/2026

🐢 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲!🌊

When people think of turtles, they often picture tropical beaches and crystal-clear waters… but did you know we get turtles visiting the Irish Sea too?

The species most commonly recorded in our waters is the incredible Leatherback turtle - the world’s largest turtle and one of the most remarkable marine animals on the planet. These huge turtles can grow to over 2 metres long and travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, with some making their way into UK waters during the summer months in search of jellyfish.

Leatherbacks are specially adapted for colder waters compared to other turtles, which is why they can sometimes be spotted in the Irish Sea. Although sightings here are rare, they are an important reminder of just how connected our coastline is to the wider marine environment.

Unfortunately, turtles face many threats worldwide including:
🌊 Plastic pollution and marine litter
🎣 Entanglement in fishing gear
🌡️ Climate change and warming oceans
🚤 Boat strikes
🪼 Declining food availability

Plastic pollution is a particularly big issue for Leatherbacks because floating plastic bags can easily be mistaken for jellyfish, one of their favourite foods.

Here on the Fylde coast, protecting marine habitats, reducing litter and encouraging people to care for the sea all play a small but important part in helping marine wildlife, including species like the Leatherback turtle.

If you’re visiting the beach today, why not take a moment to appreciate just how amazing our marine environment really is… you never know what incredible wildlife might be passing through offshore. 🐢

21/05/2026

Another brilliant Beach School session on the Fylde coast yesterday with students from Sedbergh Prep School, who have now been visiting us for the past 5 years!

The students were using the session to support their geography studies and explore real-life coastal management in action. Throughout the day, they investigated a range of coastal defence approaches including hard engineering (sea walls and groynes), soft engineering/nature-based solutions (sand dunes and saltmarsh), and areas of no active intervention/managed retreat.🌊

We had some fantastic discussions and debates about which approaches the students believed were the most effective, considering factors such as cost, sustainability, environmental impact, long-term effectiveness, aesthetics, public access and value for money.

The group then took part in our Coastal Engineers Monopoly challenge, where students were given a project budget and tasked with designing their own coastal defence schemes. Working in teams, they developed some incredibly creative and thoughtful ideas, carefully balancing budgets with the needs of both people and nature.🌾

In the afternoon, the students gave back to the local environment by helping with practical conservation work on the sand dunes. The group worked hard removing invasive species before carrying out a litter pick and beach clean to help keep the coastline clean and protected for both wildlife and the local community.🦺

It was a packed day full of learning, teamwork and hands-on conservation, and as always it was fantastic to see the students having fun whilst developing a real understanding of how coastal management works in practice. A huge thank you to Sedbergh Prep School for another great visit! 💙

Our Beach School is a partnership:
Lancashire Wildlife Trust Fylde Council Fylde Ranger Service Park View 4U
Blackpool Council Environment Agency